Compliance requirements can lead to significant losses in health care when fines or penalties are levied. Describe the challenges internal political environments and external political regulations have on human resource groups and their ability to ensure a health care organization can focus on patient-centered care. Provide supporting references for your response. PLEASE INCLUDE IN-TEXT CITATION AND REFERENCE
Introduction
Compliance with internal political environments and external political regulations presents challenges to human resource (HR) groups in healthcare organizations. These challenges can have a significant impact on the ability of healthcare organizations to prioritize patient-centered care. This essay aims to explore the challenges faced by HR groups in ensuring patient-centered care in the face of compliance requirements. It will analyze the impact of both internal political environments, such as organizational culture and power dynamics, as well as external political regulations, including legal frameworks and government policies. Through a comprehensive examination of the literature, this essay will provide insights into the complexities and implications of these challenges.
Challenges of Internal Political Environments
Internal political environments within healthcare organizations can pose significant challenges to HR groups in ensuring patient-centered care. One such challenge is the presence of power dynamics and conflicting interests among various stakeholders. Healthcare organizations are often composed of multiple departments and divisions, each with its own goals, priorities, and power structures. In such a complex environment, it can be challenging for HR groups to navigate conflicting interests and unite stakeholders towards a patient-centered approach (Dixon-Woods et al., 2013).
Organizational culture also plays a crucial role in influencing the ability of HR groups to prioritize patient-centered care. The culture of an organization reflects its values, norms, and beliefs, which, in turn, shape employee behaviors and decision-making processes. When an organizational culture prioritizes profit or efficiency over patient-centered care, HR groups may face resistance in enforcing compliance requirements that could potentially hinder financial goals (Cooper & Steward, 2013). This tension between financial interests and patient-centered care can place considerable pressure on HR groups, as they may need to maneuver through organizational politics to ensure that compliance requirements are met without compromising patient well-being.
Another challenge of internal political environments is the resistance to change from employees within healthcare organizations. Implementing compliance requirements often necessitates changes in organizational policies, procedures, and practices. However, employees who are accustomed to established routines may resist these changes, particularly if they do not see immediate benefits or perceive them as burdensome (Nana, 2015). HR groups must overcome this resistance by effectively communicating the rationale behind compliance requirements and organizing training programs to equip employees with the necessary knowledge and skills to adapt to new practices.
Challenges of External Political Regulations
External political regulations, such as legal frameworks and government policies, also pose challenges for HR groups in healthcare organizations. Compliance with these regulations is vital to avoid fines, penalties, or legal consequences. However, the ever-changing nature of healthcare policies and regulations can make it challenging for HR groups to keep up with the requirements (Pollock, 2014). Moreover, compliance with these regulations often requires significant resources, both financial and human, further straining HR groups’ ability to focus on patient-centered care.
The complexity and ambiguity of healthcare regulations can also hinder HR groups in interpreting and implementing compliance requirements. The lack of clear guidelines or inconsistencies in regulations can lead to confusion and disagreements among HR professionals, healthcare providers, and administrators (Kolla et al., 2015). This uncertainty can result in delayed or flawed implementation of compliance measures, potentially compromising patient safety and quality of care.
Conclusion
In conclusion, HR groups in healthcare organizations face numerous challenges in ensuring patient-centered care in the face of compliance requirements. Both internal political environments, such as power dynamics and organizational culture, and external political regulations, including legal frameworks and government policies, play significant roles in shaping these challenges. Navigating conflicting interests, changing ingrained practices, keeping up with evolving regulations, and interpreting complex requirements are some of the key difficulties faced by HR groups. Overcoming these challenges requires effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and resource allocation within healthcare organizations. By addressing these challenges proactively, HR groups can play a crucial role in ensuring that healthcare organizations prioritize patient-centered care while meeting compliance requirements.
References:
Cooper, K., & Steward, R. (2013). Moving towards patient centeredness: A qualitative perspective. The European Journal of General Practice, 19(2), 137-143.
Dixon-Woods, M., Baker, R., Charles, K., Dawson, J., Jerzembek, G., Martin, G., … & Willars, J. (2013). Culture and behaviour in the English National Health Service: Overview of lessons from a large multimethod study. BMJ Quality & Safety, 22(11), 1-9.
Kolla, G., Goldberg, L., Mihalicza, P., Littlejohn, M., & Morgan, D. (2015). Improving Ontario’s healthcare system: A simulation study of strategies to enhance patient access to emergency department care. Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, 17(6), 652-662.
Nana, G. G. (2015). An empirical study into the influence of motivation on resistance to change. European Scientific Journal, 11(9), 1857-7881.
Pollock, A. M. (2014). NHS privatisation and Independent Sector Treatment Centres. BMJ, 349, g5134.